Xanadu Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon, 2000

This is a wine I bought for my daughter's wedding in 2005. It was drinking nicely enough at that time, but the tannins have melted over the past five years, and it's now at a good stage of maturity. The color has lightened a bit, and there is some garnet around the rim. The bouquet and flavors are classic black currant Cabernet, and there is an elegance that I find to be typical of Margaret River (Western Australia) Cabs--nothing showy or overdone. All of the oak traits that were present five years ago have integrated nicely into the savory Cabernet fruit.

Weighing in at 15% alcohol by volume, this wine seems to contradict all of the popular stereotypes about high-alcohol wines. There is no heat on the finish; the wine is not disjointed or out of balance. In fact, it's holding up quite well after a decade in the bottle, and neither of us had any idea that the alcohol level was so high until I checked the label. The bottle was opened a day before we left for a week long trip, but I hated to pour what was left down the sink. So I gave it the Vacu Vin treatment and put it in the refrigerator just in case. It's now two days later, and the wine is still drinking well.